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Instrumentation and automation for the separation sciences
Journal of Chromatography A, 1421 (2015) 1
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Chromatography A journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chroma
Foreword
Instrumentation and automation for the separation sciences
Progress in separation sciences is founded on a partnership between advances in column or layer technology and developments in laboratory instrumentation. When one half of the duo appears ahead of the other then the newly claimed benefits for that partner remain aspirational. Developments across the spectrum of separation techniques do not occur simultaneously and so the imbalances that exist are not the same for each separation technique. Gas chromatography appeared in good order until the introduction of two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography, which placed new demands on instrumentation and methods of data management. In liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography, column technology appeared more capable than was supported by the available instrumentation. This brought significant change to instrument platforms in recent years as instrument manufacturers tried to bridge the capability gap. Layer technology has remained relatively stable in thin-layer chromatography, if one ignores developments in ultrathin layers, allowing some time for instrument manufacturers to catch up in areas such as automation and software development. Capillary electromigration methods have made slow progress in both column and instrument technology, and this situation should not be allowed to persist if these techniques are to make a major advance in capabilities. Sample preparation does not always get the attention it deserves from instrument manufacturers and is frequently the bottleneck
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2015.10.031 0021-9673/© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
in the development of fast, automated, and robust analytical methods. With the above framework in mind, the purpose of this special issue is to showcase some of the changes as instruments for the separation science evolve to support advances in column technology and sample preparation. Methods for data analysis will be handled in a future issue. Authors from both academia and industry were invited to contribute to this special issue to give a more rounded view of the exciting changes that are currently taking place in instrumentation and automation. While not comprehensive of contemporary developments, it is hoped to provide insight into the driving force behind the changes being observed and a platform to anticipate future trends and needs. Typical readers of this Journal may not be engineers, but how instruments are engineered has a profound effect on column performance and an appreciation of the challenges from an engineering perspective serves to place laboratory capabilities into a contemporary picture. If in a decade’s time, the articles in this issue appear dated, then progress has truly been made. Colin Poole Detroit, MI, USA Available online 20 October 2015
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Chromatography A journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chroma
Foreword
Instrumentation and automation for the separation sciences
Progress in separation sciences is founded on a partnership between advances in column or layer technology and developments in laboratory instrumentation. When one half of the duo appears ahead of the other then the newly claimed benefits for that partner remain aspirational. Developments across the spectrum of separation techniques do not occur simultaneously and so the imbalances that exist are not the same for each separation technique. Gas chromatography appeared in good order until the introduction of two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography, which placed new demands on instrumentation and methods of data management. In liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography, column technology appeared more capable than was supported by the available instrumentation. This brought significant change to instrument platforms in recent years as instrument manufacturers tried to bridge the capability gap. Layer technology has remained relatively stable in thin-layer chromatography, if one ignores developments in ultrathin layers, allowing some time for instrument manufacturers to catch up in areas such as automation and software development. Capillary electromigration methods have made slow progress in both column and instrument technology, and this situation should not be allowed to persist if these techniques are to make a major advance in capabilities. Sample preparation does not always get the attention it deserves from instrument manufacturers and is frequently the bottleneck
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2015.10.031 0021-9673/© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
in the development of fast, automated, and robust analytical methods. With the above framework in mind, the purpose of this special issue is to showcase some of the changes as instruments for the separation science evolve to support advances in column technology and sample preparation. Methods for data analysis will be handled in a future issue. Authors from both academia and industry were invited to contribute to this special issue to give a more rounded view of the exciting changes that are currently taking place in instrumentation and automation. While not comprehensive of contemporary developments, it is hoped to provide insight into the driving force behind the changes being observed and a platform to anticipate future trends and needs. Typical readers of this Journal may not be engineers, but how instruments are engineered has a profound effect on column performance and an appreciation of the challenges from an engineering perspective serves to place laboratory capabilities into a contemporary picture. If in a decade’s time, the articles in this issue appear dated, then progress has truly been made. Colin Poole Detroit, MI, USA Available online 20 October 2015